Mesa to enforce sign rules in Russell Pearce recall

Signs posted by Pearce allies were removed

In the wake of recent skirmishes over signs relating to the Russell Pearce recall election, Mesa is laying down the law to candidates and their allies.

The city took the unusual step of issuing a news release this week telling campaign organizations what they can and can't do, regarding signs, before the anticipated Nov. 8 election.

Pearce, R-Mesa, who is the state Senate president, faces an unprecedented effort to knock him out of office in the middle of his term. The state Supreme Court is expected to rule Tuesday on a legal challenge filed by a Pearce political ally, asserting that recall petitions don't contain enough valid signatures to force the election.

Judge Hugh Hegyi of Maricopa County Superior Court ruled last month that the election can go forward, rejecting all claims made by Pearce's legal team.

The high court will not hear oral arguments, relying instead on Hegyi's ruling and briefs filed by attorneys representing Pearce, state and county election officials, and the group that circulated the recall petitions.

Mesa's news release reiterating its sign policy followed action by city code officers who ordered the removal of numerous signs posted by Pearce allies in violation of the law.

Citizens who Oppose the Pearce Recall plastered the Southeast Valley last month with several hundred signs attacking recall organizer Randy Parraz. Mesa said that the signs were posted too early and that they did not contain the required contact information; the pro-Pearce group removed them over the weekend of Aug. 27-28.

Mesa took the same stance with signs supporting Olivia Cortes, a nominal candidate in the recall election. Cortes is widely believed to be a Pearce ally seeking to dilute the anti-Pearce vote and has not denied that allegation when she was specifically asked about it.

Mesa will allow signs to be posted in public rights of way beginning Friday "as long as they meet the placement and content requirements," according to the news release.

Citing state and local law, Mesa said the signs must:

- Include the name and contact information for the responsible party.

- Be placed at least 15 feet from any public street.

- Be maintained and repaired if damaged.

- Comply with size requirements that limit them to 32 square feet in commercial zones and 16 square feet in residential areas. Signs on residential lots of less than an acre are limited to 8 square feet.

Mesa is not averse to removing political signs it deems in violation of its code; last year it picked up hundreds of signs during a primary election campaign and told candidates they could fetch the signs from a city yard if they wanted to repost them legally.

Today is the deadline for candidates to file nominating petitions with the secretary of state's office.

Jerry Lewis, who was recruited by District 18 Republicans to oppose Pearce in the recall, filed his petitions on Aug. 18. Michael Kielsky, a Libertarian lawyer who also has said he would run, has yet to file his.

The recall campaign began early this year. Organizers said Pearce, who has been in the Legislature since 2001, has lost touch with the issues that most concern his constituents, such as jobs and education.

Pearce won national attention last year as the chief sponsor of Senate Bill 1070, an anti-illegal immigration law whose strictest provisions are now on hold pending court review. This year the Republican-dominated Legislature shot down several other Pearce-backed immigration bills.